I. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and more specifically to managing interference in a multi-carrier communication system.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as, for example, voice, data, and so on. Typical wireless communication systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, . . . ). Examples of such multiple-access systems may include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and the like. Additionally, the systems can conform to specifications such as third generation partnership project (3GPP), 3GPP long term evolution (LTE), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), etc.
Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems may simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile devices. Each mobile device may communicate with one or more access points (e.g., base stations, femtocells, picocells, relay nodes, and/or the like) via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from access points to mobile devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from mobile devices to access points. Further, communications between mobile devices and access points may be established via single-input single-output (SISO) systems, multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, and so forth. In addition, mobile devices can communicate with other mobile devices (and/or access points with other access points) in peer-to-peer wireless network configurations.
In addition, wireless communication systems can support communication over multiple frequency carriers such that an access point can transmit to and receive from mobile devices over multiple carriers. Moreover, wireless communication networks can include a number of access points that provide wireless network access to mobile devices at different power levels. For example, wireless communication networks can include macrocell access points that provide a wide area of coverage by transmitting at high power, femtocell or picocell access points that provide a smaller coverage area by transmitting at lower power, and/or the like. In one example, the femtocell or picocell can provide tailored coverage to one or more mobile devices in close proximity and can be deployed in a service area covered by a macrocell access point. Because of power disparity and heterogeneous deployment, however, access points can interfere with one another when transmitting or receiving over similar resources.